Hapless Intern. Salary: $20,000 

You intern for a small studio just outside Hollywood, finalizing the mixing details for new movies once the sound and film editors have done their work. Things are going great, until you lay the wrong soundtrack over 50,000 copies of a new movie. No more internship. Now you'll just have to break into the business without going through that Hollywood place...shouldn't be too hard.

Small-Time Editor. Salary: $35,000 

You're a sound editor for a small, independent studio. The films your company is producing are really independent. It's bad. Like, using-cardboard-in-place-of-actors bad.

Almost a Real Editor. Salary: $52,000 

You're working alongside the sound editor on a major motion picture. It feels good to be this close to the big time, but you sure wish you weren't basically somebody else's apprentice. Just wait until all the broomsticks come alive and start to do your bidding—you'll show him then.

Experienced Sound Editor. Salary: $70,000 

You're one of the most reliable and well-respected sound editors working in Hollywood. You've got an impressive résumé, and you have as much job security as someone who never has any idea where the next job is coming from can have.

Academy Awarded Editor. Salary: $93,500 

There are three golden gentlemen staring at you from the mantelpiece, all gleaming and identical. You knew there were a lot of "Goldmans" in Hollywood, but you didn't think this is what they meant.